Electric-railway system.



N0. 674,!09. Patellid May I4, l90l.

\ B. W. TUCKER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEMb rAp'plicazion mea Feb. 9, 1901 (No Model.; 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

\ -12 WITNESSES: y INVENTOR THE cams PETERS co. Pucfuuno.. wnenmuon, u. c

No. a74,|o9. Patented May I4, |901. B. w. TUCKER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEM.

4 (Application filed Feb. 9, 1901.) (No Model.)

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR Tus ohms PETERS C0., PHOTCFLITNQ. WASHINGTON. u4 c.

2 sham-sheet g.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

BENJAMIN W. TUCKER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRICiRAILVVAY SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,109, dated May 14, 1901. Application filed February 9, 1901, Serial No. 46,608. \No model-J To all Loh/0m it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN W. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in safety electric-railway systems, and more particularly to an improved electric rail;

The object of the invention is to provide an electric rail all exposed parts of which are maintained normally electrically dead, where by the rail can beemployed with perfect safety in country and city traction systems and which rail shall be strong, rigid, and durable and yet economical in construction and able to withstand without injury heavy streettraftic and wherein the rail is protected against and thoroughly insulated from its contained live line-wire. V

With this and other objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and in arrangements of parts, as more fully and particularly pointed out and described hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-track pro; vided with my improved electric rai-l. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view through a track provided with my improved electric rail, the track being shown embedded in paving. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of the electric rail. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the electric rail on the dotted` line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a like view showing a modified rail structu re embodying some of the features of the invention, and Figs. 6 and 7 are like views of further modified rail structures embodying my invention.

In the drawings, 10 10 designate the trackrails, and 11 the supports therefor, such as cross-ties.

The electric rail consists of a body or bodies of non-conducting and non-magnetizable material, although by such description I do not mean and do not limit myself to an-electric rail wherein metal is not employed for the better protection and bracing of the rail and parts thereof.

12 denotes the body or central portion of the electric rail and is composed of suitable insulating and non-magnetizable material, such as wood or composition, and preferably formed of sections or stringers placed end to end to form the continuous rail. This body 12 will have'a flat base usually, which rests on thecrosstiesorothertrack-supports. The top of the body 12 is formed with a longitudinal central groove 13, which in a full-sized railwillbe, say, about one and a half inches wide and about two inches in depth, although of course said dimensions can be greatly varied. In this groove 13 is placed a trough 14, composed of any suit-able refractory insulating material, preferably of ceramic character, such as any cheap grade of porcelain or the like. This trough is preferably U-shaped in cross-section, with an open top, and may be castor molded in sections which can be loosely fitted or dropped into the groove 13 of the wooden body 12. The groove 13 in the wooden body 12 has a flat bottom, while the trough may be formed with arrounded bottom, so that the trough rests in the groove about as shown, and thereby danger'of breakage ofthe trough is lessened, and the trough can be easily and economically manufactured. The

upper edges of the trough are, preferably, be-

low the plane of the top ,face of the body 12,l

so that the exposed conductor-sections hereinafter described rest on the top of the body 12 without engaging the trough,thereby avoiding danger ofcrushing the trough or shattering the same by the vibrations of said conductor-sections during the passage of wagons over the same.

The porcelain trough 14 can be very economically manufactured and can be easily and quickly placed in the groove 13 as the electric rail is being laid. The trough 14 preferably rests loosely in the groove to avoid pressure thereof, although, if desirable, the

trough can be fitted snugly in the groove.

After the trough 14 has been placed in the v wooden body 12 the line-wire 15 is dropped loosely in the trough and rests in the bottom thereof. This line-wire 15 is electrically con nected with the power-generator of the system and is composed of good conducting and magnetizable material, such as stili' iron wire.

The groove or conduit in the rail is sealed IOO and closed by an exposed normally dead con ductor 16, formed in short sections separated by blocks of insulating material 17 of any suitable character. The said conductor 16 is preferably composed of metal bars or plates having rounded upper surfaces and depending side edge flanges. In other Words, the said bars are approximately of inverted-U shape in cross-section and are fitted to and rest on the top of the body l2 of the rail, while their edge flanges fit and project down along the sides of the said body, as shown.

Suitable means are provided to clamp or otherwise lock the exposed normallydead conductor 16 in position on the electric-rail body 12, and for this purpose I may employ the side strips or pieces 1S, arranged longitudinally along the opposite sides of the body 12 and at their lower edges resting on the crossties 11 and with their upper edges preferably, although not necessarily, rounded off and approximately flush with the top face ofthe conductorlG. Theinnerfacesofthesesidestrips 18 are preferably recessed or rabbeted to receive the downwardly-inclined flanges 19 of the conductor-sections 16. The side strips 1S thus t the side faces of the rail-body 12 and overlap and fit the flanges 19 of the conductor 16 and lock and hold the conductor 16 in position on the rail and at the same time insulate and inclose the said flanges 19 thereof.

- These side strips 1S are composed, preferably,

ofinsnlating non-magnetizable material, such as Wood.

Suitable mechanism can be employed to lock the wooden sections of the rail together and render the structure exceedingly rigid and durable, and for this purpose I can, if desirable, employ the protecting and bracing angle-bars 20, arranged longitudinally along the outer opposite faces of the electric rail and extending from the upper or top face thereof downwardly, with bottom outturned flanges or feet resting on the cross-ties. The

u longitudinal sections of the electric rail can be firmly and rigidly locked together by crossbolts 21, passed through the angle-bars and Wooden sections transversely in a plane below the groove 13, with heads and nuts at the outer faces of the angle-bars 20.

The entire electric rail can be secured in place to track-supports or to other foundations by spikes or other fastening means.

Those skilled in the art will understand that material advantages are attained by employing the trough 14C, of ceramic material, in the Wooden or other electric rail, as the linewire loosely arranged therein is thoroughly insulated and protected, and at the same time the wooden rail is protected against fire or charring because of any possible arcing caused by the high-tension current with Which the line-wi re is charged.

My improved electric rail is particularly adapted for employment in systems wherein the motor-car carries a magnet which raises the line-wire into contact with the sections of the exposed conductor successively as the car passes along. The car also carries a contact preferably arranged in the magnetic field and traveling on the exposed sectional cond uctor 16 to take off the power-current which is passed to the car-motor, the return being provided for in any suitable manner.

The efficiency and durability of the rail structure, together with the ease and rapidity with which it may be laid, are matters of great import-ance, and it may be mentioned that the conductor-sections 16 and angle-plates 20 are of rolled beam character and readily produced.

I do not wish to limit myself to the employment of the cross-bolts 21 or the sectional construction of the electric rail, nor to the particular shape of the exposed sectional con ductor 16, as the shape of said conductor may be varied to suit the requirements of the tem, and in Figs. 5, (5, and 7 I illustrate several modified forms of my new rail structure. In Fig. 5 the railbody 12 is shown as formed with the groove 13, and the side flanges 19 of the conductor 16 are provided at their lower edges with horizontal flanges or feet 22 to rest on the laterally-extending portions of' the body 12. In Fig. 5 the upper longitudinal edges of the conductor 16 is formed with the flanges 23, and said conductor is shown as held down upon the body 12 by the concrete or other suitable filling substance 24C. The trough 14 is omitted from Fig. 5, since when the body 12 is made of some certain materials the trough 1i may not be necessary.

The rail structure shown in Fig. 6 presents the rail-body 12 and conductor 16, having down wardly-converging sides, which is a feature of advantage; but the side locking and insulating strips 25, while conforming at their inner faces to the sides of said body and conductor, have vertical outer faces and are held in position by angle-bars 26, differing somewhat in form from the angle-bars shown in Fig. 4.

In the form of rail structure shown in Fig. 7 the lower portion of the body 12 and the outlines of the side strips 27 and angle-bars 28 differ somewhat from the corresponding parts of the rail structures shown in Figs. 4C and 6, as will be understood Without detailed explanation.

It is evident that changes might be made in the forms, constructions,and. arrangements of the parts described Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I-Ience I do not wish to limit myself to the exact constructions shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The electric rail having the open-top trough of ceramic material inclosed therein, and the line-Wire in and the exposed conductor over the trougl1,substan tially as described.

2. The electric rail having the grooved body, the ceramic trough inclosed therein, and a ICO IIO

live conductor in and a normally dead conductor over said trough, substantially as described.

3. The electric rail having a groove in its body, combined with a Ushaped trough of refractory material in said groove, a live conductor loosely resting in said trough, and a sectional exposed conductor over said trough and closing the same and the groove, substantially as described.

4. The electric rail having a top longitudinal groove in its body, combined with a ceramic trough in said groove with its top edges below the plane of the top face of said body, a conductor in said trough, and a sealing or capping exposed conductor resting on the top of said body, substantially as described.

5. The electric rail having the longitudinal groove combined with the trough of refractory material placed loosely therein, the live line-wire movably resting in said trough, and the exposed conductor over said trough, substantially as described.

6. In an electric rail the body having the groove, the wire therein, the exposed sectional conductor over the wire, and longitudinal side means engaging and locking said conductor; substantially as set forth.

7. The electric rail comprisinga longitudinal body portion having a longitudinal opentop conduit, a line conductor therein, the exposed sectional conductor fitting the top of said body and sealing the said conduit, side pieces locking said conductor down on the rail, and securing means for said side pieces, substantially as described.

8. An electric rail comprising a longitudinal body of non-conducting and non-mag netizable material and having the open-top groove, and the line conductor in said groove, combined with the sectional exposed conductor on said body and depending at the sides thereof, and longitudinal side-securing means engaging said body and said depending portions of the conductor, substantially as described.

9. In an electric rail Ithe body containing the groove, andythe line conductor in said groove, combined with the exposed sectional conductor, the longitudinal sections clamping said sectional conductor in place, theside angle-bars engaging said sections, and means 1l. In an electric rail, the body of insulat-` ing and non-magnetizable material and having the downwardly-diverging side portions,

said body having the open-top longitudinal groove in its upper portion, and the movable conductor in said groove, combined with the conductor-sections on said body and closing said groove and having the downwardly-diverging side flanges to engage the said side portions of said body, and means for securing said cond uctor-sections, said body also affording seats for the lower edges of said side flanges, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 8th day of February, A. D. 1901.'

BENJAMIN W. TUCKER.

Witnesses:

CEAS. C. GILL, GUNDER GUNDERsoN. 

